Monthly Archives: October 2013

To steal shipments of valuable cargo, thieves are turning to a simple tactic: They pose as truckers, load the freight onto their own tractor-trailers and drive away. They often contact brokers with bogus information, get all the pickup information and go in and out of the shipper’s warehouse largely unnoticed. No one even knows the shipment has been stolen for days, when the receiver complains of a missing truckload.
It’s an increasingly common form of commercial identity theft that has allowed bogus truckers to make off with millions of dollars in merchandise, most often food and beverages due to the high price of the commodity and the inability to track it once it leaves the warehouse. Although Reed has luckily never experienced this kind of theft, stolen loads from shippers are a constant fear in the heads of all brokers. This is why we check all our carriers insurance to make sure they no only have a valid MC# but also have active insurance.

Typically, thieves would steal loaded trucks out of parking lots when drivers were sleeping somewhere else or showering at a truck stop. But the widening use of GPS devices, high-tech locks and other advanced security measures have pushed criminals to adopt a new plan.

Helping to drive the scams is the Internet, which offers thieves easy access to vast amounts of information through load boards. Most brokers post their loads online in order to get more drivers looking at them. Drivers who are looking to go somewhere, home perhaps, can search the web for loads delivering to their home towns, call the broker and be on their way. Sadly, online databases allow these thieves to assume the identities of legitimate freight haulers and search for specific commodities they want to steal.

Last year, carriers reported nearly 1,200 cargo thefts of all kinds nationwide, about the same as the previous year, according to CargoNet, a division of Verisk Crime Analytics, which estimated losses that year at nearly $216 million. Since many thefts go unreported, the real figure is almost certainly far higher. In the end consumers pay the price. For example, if a load of pharmaceuticals is stolen, it could cause a nationwide recall because of the threat of tampering.

The California Farm Bureau Federation warns about clues that could indicate a suspicious hauler: temporary name placards or identification numbers on the truck, abrupt changes in the time of the pickup and lack of a GPS tracking system on the truck. Another suggestion is to get a thumbprint from the truck driver.

Hopefully we can figure out a way to keep theft under control as it’s growing at a rapid rate and warrants a lot of attention.

A driver, and two passengers, were hospitalized with minor injuries this morning after losing control of their car and driving underneath a tractor-trailer on I-4 in Lakeland.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, 24-year-old Armando Fernando Ricardo Jonesia, of Tampa, was driving eastbound on I-4 when he on lost control just before 7 a.m. after passing an unloaded tractor-trailer driven by Jerry Lynn Yoder, 64, while approaching the Kathleen Road overpass.

Jonesia, driving a 1999 Honda Civic, was in the center lane when he lost control and struck the left rear of the tractor-trailer, the FHP said.

Jonesia deflected back across the roadway, rotated and became lodged under the trailer — operated by M&I Equipment Leasing out of Green Bay, Wis., the FHP said.

The car was dragged for several hundred feet before both vehicles came to rest on the outside shoulder and partially obstructed the outside lane, the FHP said.

We’re excited to announce we’re moving to a new location! We are relocating to Tampa, Florida to make room for our growing team and to expand service offerings. The new location will also welcome several employees from our sister company, TMS Logistics, including the Florida-based team drivers.

The actual move will take place on October 19, 2013 and our operations will remain as unaffected as possible, although your understanding is appreciated if we experience any unexpected service issues.

Expanding from a 6,500 square foot office in Brandon to a 34,160 square foot building in Tampa, the new corporate office will house the Reed Transport sales management team, technical team and a training facility. It also offers the opportunity for another local company to move into the building, with 10,000 square feet of furnished space vacant for sublease.

The new facility offers 10,000 square feet of warehouse space; available for storage as soon as the move is complete. The warehouse has been designed in a way that makes it practical to be used for the storage of various items. The space is temperature regulated and is completely secured.

ReedTMS Logistics will be headquartered at the following address: 615 S. Ware Blvd., Tampa, Fla. 33619. All current phone numbers and email addresses will remain the same, including the toll free number at 800.606.4471. The mailing address will also remain the same at: P.O. Box 2527, Brandon, FL 33509. Contact ReedTMS with any questions regarding the move or new location.